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Three Steps to Becoming a Fire Tamer

1. Use your fridge. At TBD it gets to up to 150 degrees in front of the hearth. Chef Robin Song of Hi Lo says, “Every now and then, I’ll find a cook cooling off in the walk-in.”

2. Drink your weight in water. Like an athlete, you need to stay hydrated. “On a good day, I’ll drink up to 10 quarts of water,” says Song.

3. Try not to burn down the restaurant. TBD chef Mark Liberman explains, “The guy who built our hearth didn’t account for the building next door, which has wood studs in its wall. A grill can reach 1,000 degrees, and when it did, the studs started smoldering. The fire department came, and we had to tear down the wall. In hindsight, it was a good thing.”